Cherry-Cheese Blintzes
from Williams-Sonoma

A blintz is a thin pancake, often filled with cottage cheese or fruit. The blintz originates in Russia, where it may also be called blin or blini. The pancake is much like a crepe, but is cooked twice. It is first prepared as a crepe, then ingredients are added to the middle and the pancake is folded into a rectangular shape and fried in hot oil.

The traditional Russian blintz differs from the crepe version so often served today. It is made of batter containing yeast, which causes it to rise and to be thicker than the crepe. This yeasted variety must be thinned with milk or water before cooking, and it is not unusual to see the Russian blintz prepared with buckwheat or oat flour. Today, the blintz is more commonly associated with those who practice Judaism and is made without yeast.

Any sweet or canned tart cherry would be appropriate in this recipe. If you prefer to use fresh sweet cherries, pit them with a cherry pitter or a small, sharp knife. Make sure they are very ripe, or poach them for 5 minutes in sweetened water.

For the blintz batter: 4 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 tsp. fine sea salt 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking 4 to 5 Tbs. unsalted butter Fruit jelly or preserves, such as apricot, for serving

For the filling: 1/2 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 lb. farmer's cheese 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg (can omit) 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 cup jarred sweet or tart cherries, drained and halved, or pitted fresh cherries

To make the blintzes, in a blender, combine the eggs, milk, flour, salt and the 2 Tbs. melted butter. Blend for 10 seconds, then scrape down the sides and blend for 20 seconds more.

Place a 6-inch crepe pan or a small nonstick fry pan over medium heat and brush with a thin film of melted butter. Use a ladle to quickly pour in 2 Tbs. of the batter. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom with the batter. Cook until the bottom is golden and the top is just set, about 45 seconds. Using a nonstick spatula, transfer the blintz, browned side down, to a plate; do not cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with more butter between each blintz.

To make the filling, in a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese, farmer's cheese, sugar, egg, lemon juice, vanilla and cinnamon with a fork until smooth. Stir in the cherries.

To assemble the blintzes, line a platter with parchment paper. Place each blintz, browned side up, in front of you, and place 2 generous Tbs. of the filling in the center. Fold the 2 outer edges toward the center so they meet over the filling. Pat gently to flatten. Fold the top and bottom in to overlap slightly in the center. Place, seam side down, on the platter. If not cooking immediately, cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours (bring back to room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking).

Preheat an oven to 200°F. To cook the blintzes, place a large fry pan over medium-low heat and melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. When the butter foams, add 4 or 5 blintzes, seam side down; do not crowd the pan. Sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Keep the blintzes warm in the oven, loosely covered with aluminum foil, and cook the remaining blintzes.

Arrange 2 or 3 warm blintzes on each plate. Top with a dollop of jelly and serve. Makes about 22 blintzes.